The FitMind Podcast: Mental Fitness, Neuroscience & Psychology · FitMind: Neuroscience, Meditation & Mental Fitness Training

#95: Mental Wellness & Monk Training - Andrew Litchy, ND

·1 hr 47 min·5 clips

Novices showed expert-like heart rate variability peaks in jhana after only 20 minutes of daily loving-kindness meditation.

Dr. Andrew Litc, a naturopathic physician and advanced student of the late monk Bhante Vimlaramsi, joins the host to discuss integrating rigorous mental training into a demanding professional life. The episode explores Litc's personal journey and his clinical research on meditation's physiological impacts. Hosted by the founder of The FitMind Podcast, this conversation serves as the host's final episode before transitioning the show to a new curator. Litc describes an early, innate spiritual curiosity, finding formal religious settings like Unitarian and Catholic churches lacking practical instruction. He first encountered meditation through books at age 11 or 12 but did not establish a consistent practice until his mid-20s. His initial training included Hindu yoga, Burmese Vipassana noting practice, and Tibetan Buddhist deity yoga and *phowa* (consciousness ejection) rituals. Litc was drawn to Bhante Vimlaramsi's precise, sutta-based approach after spontaneous *jhana* (meditative absorption) experiences arose during breath-focused practice. He later undertook a month-long temporary ordination as a novice monk under Bhante's guidance, living a highly disciplined, rustic life at the Dhamma Sukha center. Litc conducted IRB-approved studies measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in novice meditators before and after a 12-week training in breath and loving-kindness meditation. A key insight is that traits like ADHD may offer a potential advantage for deep meditation practice due to a capacity for hyperfocus and heightened sensitivity. Litc suggests optimizing foundational lifestyle factors like sleep and nutrition is especially important for such individuals. He reflects that the strict behavioral training under Bhante—such as repeatedly practicing how to push in a chair—served to dismantle ego within a container of trusted personal relationship. The temporary monastic experience provided a unique opportunity to share personal practice details more openly with a teacher, differing from typical lay-student interactions. Litc found the re-entry into lay life after disrobing to be particularly jarring, with ordinary activities like driving feeling overwhelmingly fast. The tone is conversational and reflective, blending personal narrative with educational insights into meditation techniques and neuroscience. The style is introspective, as both host and guest share from their direct experiences in dedicated mental training. Listeners interested in the practical integration of advanced meditation into a busy modern life will find valuable perspective here. Those seeking a purely secular, science-focused discussion of mindfulness may find the deep dive into Buddhist terminology and monastic culture less applicable.

As heard by us

A grounded look at meditation as part of a busy medical life.

This episode follows Dr. Drew Litchie, a naturopathic physician and one of Bhante Vimlaramsi's most advanced students, as he talks through how rigorous mental training fits inside a busy medical career.

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You want meditation advice that still fits a packed workday.

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